Automatic fire-extinguisher



(No Model.)

G. W, HORTON.

AUTOMATIG FIRE EXTiNGUISHER.

No. 280,376. Patented July 3, 1883.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE W. HORTON, OF CINCINNATI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO LOWE EMERSON, OF COLLEGE HILL, OHIO.

'AUTOMATIC FlRE-EXTlNGUlSHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 280,376, dated July 3, 188 3;

Application filed July 6, 1852. (No modem To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEO. W. HORTON, of the city of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Fire-Extinguishers, of which the following is a specification. 1

My invention relates to that class of fire-extinguishers which, in general, consist of a pipe containing water, gas, or other fluid of a nature capable of extinguishing fire when brought intocontact therewith, and a mechanism communicating withsaid pipe and combined with a metal melting at a low temperature in such amanner that when combustion occursin prox= imity to the said mechanism the latter shall be operated upon by the conjunction of the heat and the pressure of said extinguishingfluid in such a manner that the fluid shall be permitted to escape in given directions, and thus extinguish the fire or retard the progress of the latter.

The nature of my invention will be fully apparent from the following description,

In the accompanying drawings, making part hereof, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a device illustrating my invention. Fig. 2 represents a central vertical section of the same device. Fig. 3 represents a top view,, and Fig. 4 an edge view, of the numerous modifications which may be present of that portion of my device which is employed to allow the fluid when escaping to pass off in the jets or spray.

Fig. 5 shows a View of the top and side of the 1 soldered joint or piece enlarged.

A indicates the tube in which the fluid employed for extinguishing the fire is present. This tube is located in the room or building, &c at the point where fire can occur or combustion take place, and is supplied withthe extinguishing-fluid from any suitable reservoir; This tube A is provided with a valvechamber, B, carrying a valve, 0, of such a suitable shape that when pressed against its valve,- seat 0 all flow of fluid from the tube A will be stopped.

Attached to the valve is a stem, D, working in and supported by a stem-carrier, E. The stem D projects beyond the stem-carrier, and at its free end carries the head F, adapted to receive the soldered joint or piece H, which latter rests against it, asshown in Figs. 1 and This chamber is provided with suitable out- I lets for the delivery of the extinguishing-fluid.

In Figs. 1 and '2 a zigzag orifice, F, is shown extending around the chamber T, and in Figs. 3 and 4 are shown orifices or openings S, the orifices in both cases being for the accomplishment of the'same pu'rposeviz., the spraying of the fluid.

The soldered joint consists of two pieces, h and h, soldered together at a, with suitable soft solder, being plainly shown in Fig. 5. The piece h is provided with an extension, m, and the piece h with a similar extension, m. Each extension at carries its respective link or connection I, which latter at one end hooks over said extension and at the other end has one or more hooks, K, which hook around 'apin or lug, J, fixed in that end of the cross-piece P which is preferably on the same side of the stem-carrier. This cross-piece P preferably has an annular collar, 1), which slides on the stenrcarrier E. In the preferred form, as shown, this connection I consists of a single piece of wire bent at middle to form a loop, and having a hook, K, at each end, one of said hooks engaging the pin J on one side of the stem-carrier, and the other' of said hooks engaging the pin J at the other side of the stemcarrier, and the free end m of one of the pieces of the soldered joint passes between the two sides of the loop and engages the latter at its middle bend.

A suitable device is to be employed to presuch device consists in providing each end in or piece h and h with a shoulder or projection,

n, andas long as the soldered j oint remains to gether the head F fits betwe 11 these projections it, and the latter prevent i ndue longitudinal movement ofthe soldered j oint. It is desirable that when the solder in the joint is softened the connections I I shall each act as a fulcrum on its respective extension in as the fluid presses the head forward and presses the now soldered joint apart, and some suitable device should therefore be employed which shall keep each connection I just far enough beyond the end of the head so that the connection shall act as a fulcrum, as aforesaid. A preferred form of such device is shown, and consists of the pins or studs M, one of these studs being fixed to the head near one end of the latter, and the other of these studs being fixed at the head near the other end of the latter.

A preferred form of device for keeping the connections I I duly strained, and consequently keeping the solderedjoint in position, consists of the nut N, engaging a screw-thread, N, on the periphery of the stemcarrier, the nut being located between the cross-piece P and the head F. The device for throwing j ets or sprays of the extinguishing-fluid may be of any suit able pattern-as, for instance, the hollow disks R, suitably perforated with orifices S, (see Figs. 3 and 4,) or the orifices T, (shown in the spraying device of Figs. 1 and 2,) or of orifices arranged in any other desired manner, the orifices being suitably connected to the spray or jet chamber.

The principal object to be attained by the jetting or spraying device is to provide that the holes shall throw the extinguishing-fluid in. every direction and in as immediate large quantities as possible.

The mode in which my invention operates is as follows: The fluid in the pipe is under pressure. \Vhen a fire breaks out near the place where the soldered joint and its attendant mechanism are located, the heat melts the soluble soft solder of the soldered joint, the pressure of the extinguishing-fluid in the tube A and upon the valve continually tends to press thelatter and the stem and head F away from the valve-seat, and the head F continually presses against the soldered joint. Th ere fore when this soldered joint is unsoldered the pressure of said head F, in connection with the fulclaim-extensions, operates to instantly and easily pry apart or separate the soldered joint. The pieces hi1 of this joint, upon separation, allow thehead F to advance and the valve 0 to leave its seat, and the extinguishingfluid then rushes into the spray or jet chambustible material sought to be protected.

Sometimes it may happen that the joint between the valve and its seat is not very tight;

also, after the valve has not been in use for a on the valve and 011 the joint between it and the seat, and thus prevent the valve from readily opening when a fire occurs. To prevent the sediment from getting between the valve and valve-seat while the valve is closed, and to prevent any incrustations from causing the valve to stick, I coat the edge of the joint between the valve and valve-seat at \V (see Fig. 2) with a composition of glycerine and beeswax.

What I claim as new and of my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The solder joint H, consisting of the pieces h h, united by a line of solder, as a, in combination with tube A, filled with eXtinguishing-fluid, and with valve 0, and a device for spraying or otherwise discharging said fluid, and connecting and operating mechanism, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. The combination of the solder-joint H, consistin of the pieces h h, providedwith extensions m and connections I, means for preventing the joint H from sliding longitudinally, cross-piece I, nut N, cross-head F, and valve, valve-stem, and device for spraying or otherwise discharging the extinguishing-fluid, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

3. The combination of the solderjoint H, provided with extensions m and shoulders 12, cross-head F, having studs or pins M, valvestem, and valve and valve-seat, and connections I, stem-carrierE, and cross-piece I, sliding on stem-carrier E, and nut N, tube A, and device for spraying or otherwise discharging the extinguishing-fluid, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

4. The combination of the solder-j oint, composed of two pieces, h h, held together by a line of solder, as a, in combination with a tube, as A, and cross-head F, and valve, and a device for spraying or otherwise discharging the extinguishing-fluid, and connecting and operating mechanism for enabling the fluid, when the soft solder is melted, to pry apart the two sections of the solder-joint and the valve to be opened, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

GEORGE w. HORTON.

\Vitnesses:

E. R. HILL, BEN. B. DALE. 

